The Question Game
by Ficalicious
Summary: Kate is surrounded by a fortress of walls. All ones she has built herself. And her solitude is something she loathes. Can Jack break through those walls and reach Kate before its too late?


**Title: The Question Game**

**Summary: Just a happy little piece about sharing and giving**

Jack made his way across the darkened beach.

Evening had fallen and most of the survivors were crowded around the large signal fire, eagerly awaiting the boar that Locke had caught and was now roasting.

Kate was sitting on the outskirts of the group, gazing at a small fire situated nearer the makeshift shelters. This didn't come as a surprise to Jack. Not just because Kate was a vegetarian, but also because she tended to do most things alone. Eat, sleep, and gather food and wood.

She was friendly enough and did more than her fair share to help out the camp but she held a distant seclusion that enthralled Jack.

He knew that she was the one who had been travelling with the Marshall. Still had her mug shot in his back pocket. Somehow that photo had become his link to her. He found himself thinking about it, resting there against his leg, at the strangest of times. And he found himself looking at it when he didn't have the real thing at hand.

Something about the mystery of Kate's past, the dark shadows in her green eyes, the hesitant trust they had developed had pulled at something in him and he wanted to know her better. Wanted her to trust him more.

So as the group sat eating meat and talking and getting to know each other in the light of the large fire, Jack made his way into the shadows to fall down into the sand next to Kate.

"Hey," he smiled, getting a small smile in return.

"Hey yourself," was her reply before returning her gaze to the fire.

"I thought you might be hungry," Jack said quietly, reaching into his bag and pulling out some bananas. Kate accepted them gratefully and the two munched on the fruit in silence for several minutes.

"What're you thinking?" Jack finally asked. Even though Kate was never really forthcoming about herself, she was usually more talkative with Jack and he sensed there was something up.

"Not much. Just wondering if we're ever going to find another sort of fruit on this island other than bananas." She gave him a half-hearted smile. Jack returned it with a larger grin.

"Here I thought you were happy as long as it wasn't meat."

"Yeah, but there are only so many bananas you can eat a day. I'm sure it can't be healthy."

Jack grinned. "Well, come see me if you start turning yellow."

This gained a small, genuine smile from Kate.

"Is that all that's going on in that head of yours? You seem sad, Kate." He put his hand softly on her shoulder, as if to gain her attention. He felt his hand tingle at the contact.

"You don't miss anything do you Dr Shepherd?"

"Well, I was trained to notice the smallest of things. You wanna talk?"

"Not really."

"Why are you over here by yourself Kate? Why not sit with the others?" Jack took his hand back when he felt Kate tense, afraid that she didn't want to be touched.

"I'm not big on crowds, Jack. I've been on my own for a long time. I guess it takes a while to rely on others again."

"The others don't hate you Kate, you're liked by everyone. Why do you need to be on your own here? What was it in your past that made you resent human contact?" He felt his voice get louder as he grew more frustrated with Kate's actions. He quickly dampened his anger. He didn't know why Kate's need for solitude annoyed him. He understood there was something in her past that she needed to sort out. But he wished she wouldn't always push him away.

"What do you want from me Jack?" she asked quietly.

"I want to know about _you_ Kate."

"You had your chance to know." She abruptly stated.

"No," Jack said firmly. "I want to know about _you_! Not what you did. That's forgotten here. We all get a fresh start here. I just want to know something, anything, true about you. Who you were, who you are." He let out a sigh and leaned back on his elbows in the sand.

They were both silent for a long time.

"You ever play the "question game"?" Kate asked quietly. Jack shook his head.

"No. How do you play?"

"Well, that was your question so it's my turn now." Kate laughed. Jack sat up. "Basically, you ask me a question, I have to give an honest answer, then I ask you a question etc. All answers are kept in the game, private, not told to anyone else." She looked at him to see if he got the gist.

"And do I want to know where you learnt to play this?" He asked, smiling. Kate just shook her head.

"You already had your question. It's my turn. Ok… why did you become a doctor?" She watched as Jack mulled the question over. He had a strange expression on his face, almost one of sadness.

"My dad was a doctor. He was never around much. But as a kid I believed that he was some sort of superhero. Saving lives, making the world a better place. I never actually wanted to be a doctor. My dad used to tell me I wouldn't be able to handle it. But when I was around twelve, I don't know, something just clicked. A guy I knew was being beaten up and I tried to help him. Afterwards, when I'd been thoroughly creamed by those guys my dad told me I didn't have it in me to be like him. And I just knew then that I wanted to be able to save people. To help them. I knew that I wanted to be what my dad was and more. I wanted to prove to him that I could handle those situations and still be a good person. I think I resented him a lot because he was never there. And because he drank. And I felt that I had to prove myself to him." Jack tapered off, astonished that he had shared so much about his past.

"Wow." Was all Kate could manage. She hadn't thought that such a simple question would get such an answer.

"My turn." Jack smiled. Kate braced herself for a question about her past, about why she was on the run. Why had she agreed to do this? "What's your favourite food?" he smiled when Kate visibly relaxed. He knew she thought he would ask why she was on the run.

"Favourite food? Ok. Apple pie." She smiled and leaned back.

"Apple pie?" Jack asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. Freshly baked apple pie. With cream. And sometimes chocolate ice cream on top. It's the best food at three in the morning when you can't sleep."

"Apple pie." Jack laughed. "You may have to settle for banana pie here."

At this Kate gave a genuine laugh.

"Ok Jack, my question. Who was your first crush?" she laughed when Jack turned bright red. "It's not like I'm gonna know who they are!" she laughed.

"I'm not answering that question." He adamantly stated.

"You have to! Rules of the game!"

"Alright, if you have to know it was my third grade teacher. But I didn't know I had a crush on her at the time! I just thought she was cool."

This only made Kate laugh harder.

"Alright then. Here's one for you. Most embarrassing moment?" He looked smug.

"That would have to be my eighth grade school play. We did Calamity Jane and I was Adelaide Adams. God, it was horrible. What about you?"

Jack paused a moment to think. "I asked out this girl once, not realising that her boyfriend was the guy she was sitting next to. It wasn't pretty."

They both laughed for a moment. Jack thought about his next question.

"What's your favourite song?"

Kate didn't hesitate.

"'Naked' by Ben Lee. He's an Australian artist. I heard him play in a bar somewhere in the States once. I just really loved that song. I guess it struck a chord in me. I felt it, you know."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I know the song. Someone I knew once had some of his CDs."

"Have you ever been really serious about a girl?" Kate asked quietly. She looked up to catch Jack looking at her seriously. His eyes held so much emotion, it was as if they said '_you_!' She looked away quickly.

"I was married." He said quietly but didn't say anymore. After a moment he looked at her solemnly.

"Why were you sad this evening?"

Kate didn't answer for a while and Jack began to think she wasn't going to. Finally she spoke.

"It's my birthday tomorrow." She told him. "It's my birthday tomorrow and I realised that I won't have been home for nearly five years." Then she stood. Jack stood quickly as well.

"Kate?' he asked, reaching out for her.

"I'm… I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight Jack." And she turned and walked over to her shelter.

Jack watched her go before returning to the main fire. Everyone had finished eating and there were the calming sounds of conversation. Jack sat near Charlie, Claire and Sayid, only occasionally joining the conversation. He wanted to cheer Kate up and he was already formulating a plan.

"Charlie, can I talk to you?"

Charlie looked up from where he was strumming his guitar. "Yeah Jack. What's up?"

"I need your help with something." Jack told him, sitting down.

Kate strolled along the beach. It was late afternoon. She didn't know why but she was sad that another of her birthdays was passing by with no recognition. She had let so many drift by in the last few years and she was suddenly realising no one was noticing her life go. That she could go on like this for the rest of her life, never recognising her birth, her life.

_How depressing do I wanna be?_ She thought to herself.

She sat down in the soft sand, relishing the sun's warm rays on her skin. It was a still day, even the waves had calmed down. Only a slight cool breeze blew.

She heard someone approaching her, their footsteps slow in the sand. Kate didn't look around. She knew it would either be Jack or Sawyer and she wasn't sure who she would rather it be.

She still didn't turn when that person sat beside her in the sand. It wasn't until she heard the distinct notes on a guitar being played that she turned.

"Jack," she breathed. He just smiled and looked back down at his hands as he played the opening tune.

It was when he started to sing that Kate realised what was happening. And god did he have a good voice.

"_Well we all just want a way to remember_

_A way to surrender_

_A way to forever_

_And we all just want someone to speak to_

_Someone to see through_

_Someone to beat through_

_So don't hide your love inside_

_Cause in the end are the people who just pretend_

_You know we never could fake it when we're naked_

_You don't hide the love inside_

_Cause in the end are the people that just pretend_

_You know we never could fake it when we're naked_

_When we're naked" _

As he moved into the next verse he looked up at her, smiled into her eyes. His eyes were sparkling, a glow in them she had never seen.

"_Well we all just want a way to stay broken_

_A way to stay open_

_A way to keep hoping_

_And we all just want a reason to mess up_

_A reason to fess up_

_A reason to dress up_

_So don't hide your love inside_

_Cause in the end are the people who just pretend_

_You know we never could fake it when we're naked_

_You don't hide your love in side _

_Cause in the end are the people who just pretend_

_You know we never could fake it when we're naked"_

As he hit the chorus, his voice grew more confident. He glanced down at his hands for a second and when he returned his gaze to Kate she was smiling, her eyes glistening from unshed tears.

"_It's underneath your skin_

_It's always on your mind_

_You wanna let love in_

_But these are dangerous times_

_It's underneath your skin_

_It always on your mind_

_You wanna let love in_

_But these are dangerous times_

_But these are dangerous times_

_So don't hide your love inside _

_Cause in the end are the people that just pretend_

_You know we never could fake it when we're naked_

_You don't hide your love inside_

_Cause in the end are the people who just pretend _

_You know never could fake it when we're naked_

_When we're naked _

_When we're naked _

_When we're naked yeah"_

He played the last few notes and then stopped. He put Charlie's guitar to the side and looked back at Kate.

"Happy birthday, Kate."

By then tears were running freely down her cheeks.

"Thankyou, Jack." She whispered before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"You're welcome Kate." Jack smiled.

As she pulled back, Kate placed the softest of kisses on his lips before sitting back in the sand. Instead of running from the emotions she had stopped herself from feeling for so long, Kate maintained eye contact with a speechless Jack.

"How did you know how to play it?" she asked softly.

"Charlie spent all day teaching me. He then made me promise on my life that I wouldn't wreck his guitar." At this he chuckled. "He wanted to know why I was so desperate to learn it. I didn't tell him, or the others. I wasn't sure if you wanted them to know it was your birthday. It's your choice to make."

"Thankyou Jack. I'm not sure I could handle all of them at the moment. But what you did. It's the best birthday present I've had in a long time." She gave him a genuine smile.

"You're more than welcome Kate. I figured, I couldn't really make you an apple pie, so next best thing." They both laughed at that.

"I better get this guitar back to Charlie." Before he got up he reached for Kate, his hand cupping her face softly, as he pulled her towards him.

"Happy birthday," he whispered against her lips before kissing her gently.

Without saying any more he got up and made his way up the beach, leaving Kate to stare after him.

She reached up and touched her still tingling lips.

Yep, best birthday ever, she thought, smiling.


End file.
